The Brimstone Network: The Shroud of A'Ranka by Tom Sniegoski
Picture the X-Men, or the cast of Heroes. Now picture them younger, right when they are discovering and harnessing their powers, and you've got The Brimstone Network. It's an organization of warriors, sorcerers, and superpowered folks. Bram, a young teenager who is half-human, half-specter, inherited leadership of the group when his father, the original leader of the group, was killed in an attack that almost wiped their ranks out entirely. Now Bram not only has to find new recruits, he has to try to fill his father's shoes and keep the legacy alive. In the second book, The Shroud of A'Ranka, the new members of The Brimstone Network have to figure out a way to defeat Vladek, an evil vampire who can't be killed.
I'm a sucker for stories with superpowers, and I really like how the different members of the Network struggle with their newfound abilities. Some of the kids are tentative while others are tenacious. They must learn to control their new powers and use them safely. Fans of Heroes (and maybe even Twilight) would love to have these abilities, which include telekinesis (moving things with your mind) and shapeshifting (one of the main characters is a werewolf!)
If you are in the market for a new supernatural series for young readers, you've got to get this series. The Brimstone Network has lots of action and suspense, and it would be a really cool TV show or movie.
The Shroud of A'Ranka is the second book in the series. The first book, which was released on August 5th, 2008, is simply titled The Brimstone Network. The third book in the series, Specter Rising, comes out next month, on January 27th, 2009.
Visit The Brimstone Network website. I recently added a bunch of new icons and wallpapers. Special thanks to the folks at Simon and Schuster who created them.
Visit Tom Sniegoski's website.
Read my post about the series as a whole.
I also posted about The Brimstone Network at GuysLitWire.